The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-08
FOOD, MS PREPARATION AND
IT'S RELATION TO HEALTH.

81 1A6l0 40 nv 00DJOOU Ah AySAOAN
especially OF infancy and children, IN
regard to which SO much ignorance
prevails as to- the quality and quantity
of food that is required.
The stomach is the pandora box Of
human ills, and badly.prepared food is
the patent key that unlocks it, and
lets disease seize upon the" unsuspect-
ing. victim. We must not suppose
that only what are called "~dyspeptics''
suffer from eating improperly prepared
diet, or that theirs is the only ailment
caused by, it. Indeed this is one Of
the prime ource Of disorder in the
physical economy from the infant in
its cradle to the o~ctogenarian lettering
on the brink of the grave. We would
not have you believe that every dis
ease has its exciting cause in badly
prepared food, for we know that
many of the diseases that affect our
race are caused by inhaling poisoned
air, asin malarial affections, diphtheria,
SC. But we hold that a system that
is well nourished is more able to re-
sist disease than n which is badly
nourished. This is well proven by the
class of victims that are carried off in
epidemics. The wretched poor of our
large cities who live on the refuse of
the markets, constitute a large mum
Der of the victims of epidemics of
cholera, yellow fever, typhus fever
and other diseases that [ might men
ton, ..- a.l.
The nearer we approach natures
law and obey her, the more will we be
honored by the observance in enjoy
ing health +.
The subject Of the diet for infants
is an important one. It is one which
is too frequently neglected while the
digestive organs of the adult easily
assimilate a great variety of food, it
is necessary for the well being of the
infant, that its diet be simple and well
prepared The belief has prevailed in
the medical profession that infants
prior to the age of three orfour months
can digest a very small amount of
starch, since the salivary and pancre-
attic glands, whose secretions convert
starch into sugar, a necessary change
in digestion, are almost rudimentary
In the early months of infancy. But
it is ~ascertained that these glands are
not the only organs concerned in the
digestion of starches. It appears,
therefore, that young infants are able
to digest a certain amount of starch
but a much smaller quantity than
those who are older. The preparation
of a starchy food in which the starch
has been changed into sugar by a
chemical process, and the delicate and
easily deranged digestive organs of
the infant relieved of the task has
long been known and used. The best
method of preparation is this IL o.,
each of wheat and malt flour; Z IA
grains of the bicarbonate of soda Tor
binary baking soda) l OF. water well
mixed, then add 5 OF. of milk, put on
gentle fire, when it begins to thicken
remove and stir five minutes, heated
and stirred again until it becomes
quite fluid, and finally made to boil,
strain it through a seive to remove the
bran, sweeten to taste, now it is ready
for use. This food furnishes double
the amount of nutriment contained in
an equal quantity of milk. Milk is the
food for an infant until six months of
age, then a more solid food may be
given if milk disagrees with the child
or adult as the case may be, for there
are conditions in which it is necessary
for an adult to use strictly a milk diet
it may be prepared in such a way
that digestion begins before taken into
the stomach. 1t is prepared thus 5
grains of the pancreatic extract and
10 grains of bicarbonate of soda added
to a gill of warm water, this is mixed
with a pint of warm milk, and the
mixture in some convenient vessel, is
placed in water kept at 100 degrees
+. for n hour, when it is placed
on ice to prevent further digestion. It
should be tasted frequently during the
process, and if the least bitterness is
detected the process should be sus-
pended before the expiration of the
hour. The artificial digestioni is arrested
by boiling, which destroys the ferment
or placing it on ice, which makes it
inactive. Placing it on ice is prefer
able as we wish the digestion to 90 on
after being taken into the stomach.
Few vegetables are proper for an in
FAINT under the age of one year. But
the potato baked and mashedsso as to